Royal Dutch/Shell Group unveiled another, bigger-than-expected, cut in oil reserves on Thursday but tempered the news by announcing record profits and plans for higher dividends and share buybacks. Surging oil prices and strong refining margins

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Royal Dutch/Shell Group unveiled another, bigger-than-expected, cut in oil reserves on Thursday but tempered the news by announcing record profits and plans for higher dividends and share buybacks. Surging oil prices and strong refining margins

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US business productivity growth proved surprisingly sluggish at the end of 2004 and claims for jobless aid unexpectedly dipped last week, according to government reports that showed a good sign for employment which could fan

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China said Thursday that a threatened US bill giving it six months to revalue its currency, the yuan, would be the wrong way to handle the sensitive issue. "We believe this is not a way

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President George W. Bush said on Wednesday that his fiscal 2006 budget would slash or eliminate more than 150 government programmes, and hold spending growth for many other programmes at below the rate of inflation.

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The Nordic telecommunications equipment groups Ericsson and Nokia announced separate third-generation mobile phone deals Thursday with a subsidiary of the Taiwanese telecoms operator Far EasTone. The Swedish group Ericsson said it had won a WCDMA

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PepsiCo Inc, the No 2 soft-drink maker, on Thursday reported higher fourth-quarter profit on volume growth, a strong pricing environment and a favourable foreign exchange rate. The company reported earnings of $985 million, or 58

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PepsiCo Inc, the No 2 soft-drink maker, on Thursday reported higher fourth-quarter profit on volume growth, a strong pricing environment and a favourable foreign exchange rate. The company reported earnings of $985 million, or 58

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Trade between Singapore and the United States has climbed about 12 percent since the two countries sealed Washington's first Asian free-trade pact a year ago, the Singapore government said on Thursday. The pact gave nearly

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South Africa's De Beers said Friday that diamond sales sparkled during 2004, boosted by Asian sales, sending net profits soaring by 25 percent to 498 million dollars (383 million euros). The upbeat figures came as

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